Hybrid carbon nanotube shielding for lightweight electrical cables

Abstract

A cable comprising hybrid carbon nanotube (CNT) shielding includes at least one conducting wire; at least one insulating layer covering at least one of the at least one conducting wire; a metallic foil component configured for lower frequency shielding function; and a CNT tape component configured for higher frequency shielding function.

We claim: 
     
       1. A cable comprising:
 a hybrid mechanical-electrical architecture configured to provide better shielding effectiveness than either of the two components through a frequency range of approximately 50 megahertz (MHz) to approximately 1 Gigahertz (GHz), the hybrid mechanical-electrical architecture further configured to provide greatly reduced weight, the hybrid mechanical-electrical architecture comprising:
 at least one conducting wire; 
 at least one insulating layer covering at least one of the at least one conducting wire; 
 a metallic foil component configured for lower frequency shielding function; and 
 a CNT tape component configured for higher frequency shielding function, the CNT tape component further configured to perform a mechanical function of holding the metallic foil component in place. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The cable of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a connector is crimped over at least one of the CNT tape component and the metallic foil component to terminate the cable. 
 
     
     
       3. The cable of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the connector is a subminiature version A (SMA) connector. 
 
     
     
       4. The cable comprising hybrid CNT shielding of  claim 1 , wherein the CNT cable comprises one or more of a single conductive wire, a multiple conductive wire, and a coaxial cable configured for one or more of information, control, power, and data communication. 
     
     
       5. The cable comprising hybrid CNT shielding of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a reinforcing member. 
 
     
     
       6. The cable comprising hybrid CNT shielding of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the reinforcing member substantially runs the full length of the cable. 
 
     
     
       7. The cable comprising hybrid CNT shielding of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the reinforcing member comprises a staycord. 
 
     
     
       8. The cable comprising hybrid CNT shielding of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the reinforcing member comprises metallic braid/strand or metallic coated braid/strand. 
 
     
     
       9. The cable comprising hybrid CNT shielding of  claim 8 , wherein:
 a connector is crimped over the CNT tape component and the metallic foil component to terminate the cable. 
 
     
     
       10. The cable comprising hybrid CNT shielding of  claim 8 , wherein: a connector is soldered to the foil and/or soldered to a CNT tape that has been metalized for soldering, then crimped to terminate the cable. 
     
     
       11. The cable comprising hybrid CNT shielding of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the connector is a subminiature version A (SMA) connector. 
 
     
     
       12. The cable comprising hybrid CNT shielding of  claim 9 , wherein:
 a glue is placed under the crimp to hold in place at least one of the reinforcing member, the metallic foil, and the CNT tape. 
 
     
     
       13. The cable comprising hybrid CNT shielding of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the glue is epoxy. 
 
     
     
       14. The cable comprising hybrid CNT shielding of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the glue is silver-loaded epoxy. 
 
     
     
       15. The cable comprising hybrid CNT shielding of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the shielding effectiveness of the cable comprising hybrid CNT shielding exceeds the shielding effectiveness offered by the CNT tape alone. 
 
     
     
       16. The cable comprising hybrid CNT shielding of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the shielding effectiveness of the cable comprising hybrid CNT shielding exceeds the shielding effectiveness of the metallic foil component alone. 
 
     
     
       17. The cable comprising hybrid CNT shielding of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the cable comprising hybrid CNT shielding has superior specific shielding effectiveness relative to conventional conducting cable. 
 
     
     
       18. The cable comprising hybrid CNT shielding of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the cable comprising hybrid CNT shielding has substantially a lower weight per unit length relative to conventional conducting cable. 
 
     
     
       19. The cable comprising hybrid CNT shielding recited in  claim 1 , wherein the cable comprising hybrid CNT shielding further comprises a conducting wire, an insulating layer applied directly upon the conducting wire; and a reinforcing member wrapping at least one of the metallic foil component and the CNT tape component, wherein at least one of the metallic foil component and the CNT tape component are coated upon the insulating layer. 
     
     
       20. A coaxial cable, comprising:
 a hybrid mechanical-electrical architecture configured to provide better shielding effectiveness than either of the two components through a frequency range of approximately 50 megahertz (MHz) to approximately 1 Gigahertz (GHz), the hybrid mechanical-electrical architecture further configured to provide greatly reduced weight, the hybrid mechanical-electrical architecture comprising:
 at least one coaxial cable; 
 at least one insulating layer covering at least one of the at least one coaxial cable; 
 a metallic foil component configured for lower frequency shielding function; 
 a CNT tape component configured for higher frequency shielding function; 
 a reinforcing member; and 
 a subminiature version A (SMA) connector crimped over at least one of the CNT tape component and the metallic foil component to terminate the cable, wherein 
 
 silver-loaded epoxy is placed under the crimp to hold in place at least one of the reinforcing member, the metallic foil component, and the CNT tape component, the CNT tape component further configured to perform a mechanical function of holding the metallic foil component in place. 
 
     
     
       21. A cable comprising:
 a hybrid mechanical-electrical architecture configured to provide better shielding effectiveness than either of the two components through a frequency range of approximately 50 megahertz (MHz) to approximately 1 Gigahertz (GHz), the hybrid mechanical-electrical architecture further configured to provide greatly reduced weight, the hybrid mechanical-electrical architecture comprising:
 at least one conducting wire; 
 at least one insulating layer covering at least one of the at least one conducting wire; 
 a metallic foil component configured for lower frequency shielding function surrounding the at least one insulating layer; 
 a CNT tape component layer configured for higher frequency shielding function surrounding the metallic foil component; and 
 a reinforcing member wrapping at least one of the metallic foil component and the CNT tape component, the CNT tape component further configured to perform a mechanical function of holding the metallic foil component in place. 
 
 
     
     
       22. A cable comprising:
 a hybrid mechanical-electrical architecture configured to provide better shielding effectiveness than either of the two components through a frequency range of approximately 50 megahertz (MHz) to approximately 1 Gigahertz (GHz), the hybrid mechanical-electrical architecture further configured to provide greatly reduced weight, the hybrid mechanical-electrical architecture comprising:
 at least one conducting wire; 
 at least one insulating layer covering at least one of the at least one conducting wire; 
 a braided conductor component configured for lower frequency shielding function; and 
 a CNT tape component configured for higher frequency shielding function, the CNT tape component further configured to perform a mechanical function of holding the braided conductor component in place. 
 
 
     
     
       23. A cable comprising:
 a hybrid mechanical-electrical architecture configured to provide better shielding effectiveness than either of the two components through a frequency range of approximately 50 megahertz (MHz) to approximately 1 Gigahertz (GHz), the hybrid mechanical-electrical architecture further configured to provide greatly reduced weight, the hybrid mechanical-electrical architecture comprising:
 at least one conducting wire; 
 at least one insulating layer covering at least one of the at least one conducting wire; 
 a conductive woven tape component configured for lower frequency shielding function; and 
 a CNT tape component configured for higher frequency shielding function, the CNT tape component further configured to perform a mechanical function of holding the woven tape component in place. 
 
 
     
     
       24. A cable comprising:
 a hybrid mechanical-electrical architecture configured to provide better shielding effectiveness than either of the two components through a frequency range of approximately 50 megahertz (MHz) to approximately 1 Gigahertz (GHz), the hybrid mechanical-electrical architecture further configured to provide greatly reduced weight, the hybrid mechanical-electrical architecture comprising:
 at least one conducting wire; 
 at least one insulating layer covering at least one of the at least one conducting wire; 
 a CNT tape component layer configured for higher frequency shielding function surrounding the at least one insulating layer; 
 a metallic foil component configured for lower frequency shielding function surrounding the CNT tape component layer; and 
 a reinforcing member wrapping at least one of the metallic foil component and the CNT tape component, the CNT tape component further configured to perform a mechanical function of holding the metallic foil component in place.